In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.

Who is missing?

A Little Cloying

Overall

3 out of 5 stars

Performance

2 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-03-18

II don't know if it was the narrator or the story. I think the essential personalities came through. A few had much grace. Some had none. I thought Jackie Kennedy was going to be elevated to sainthood right on the pages. Barbara Bush is, I am sure, loved by her family but I couldn't be in the same room with her. It will also always be a question: How much of the marriages were about love and how much was about "power feels good to me too". Too me many seem a little too compliant for my sensibility. An interesting, gossipy tone.

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline's world is forever changed when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939 - and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement.

The cover is a bit misleading, but...

Excellent. This book will stay with me forever.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-16-18

The book kept me spellbound. Other books have also had a similar effect. This book is special because I feel it has become a part of me. It will live in me in ways that I don't even know at this point.

Deconstructing Sammy

Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob

By:
Matt Birkbeck

Narrated by:
Peter Jay Fernandez

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Abridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
22

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
13

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
14

Sammy Davis Jr. lived a storied life. Adored by millions over a six-decade-long career, he was considered an entertainment icon and a national treasure. But despite lifetime earnings that topped $50 million, Sammy died in 1990 near bankruptcy. His estate was declared insolvent, and there was no possibility of it ever using Sammy's name or likeness again. It was as if Sammy had never existed.